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Preliminary Report of the Foreign Visitors’ Mission to Mexico

  April 12, 2022

The full report is available here.

The Mission of Foreign Visitors of the Organization of American States (OAS/MFV), headed by professor and electoral expert Fernando Tuesta Soldevilla, greets the people of Mexico following the holding of the presidential recall referendum on Sunday, April 10. The Mission highlights the fact that the voting day took place peacefully and congratulates the National Electoral Institute (INE) for organizing the process, despite the challenges it had to face. Likewise, it highlights the civic commitment of the thousands of citizens who served as members of polling stations.

The Mission, which arrived in the country in stages from April 1, was made up of 14 specialists of 8 nationalities. The Mission followed up on key aspects of the process, such as electoral organization, the use of technology and information security, the electoral justice system, voting abroad, access to information and freedom of expression, as well as specific elements of a direct democracy mechanism.

Due to the global health context, the OAS/MFV carried out its work both face-to-face and virtually, as OAS missions have been doing since the beginning of the pandemic. All members of the Mission who traveled to Mexico from abroad were tested for COVID-19 and verified to be free of the virus prior to their arrival in the country. In the days prior to voting day, two members of the Mission tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19), and therefore suspended their participation in face-to-face activities and remained in isolation, in compliance with the host country's regulations. Despite the above, the Mission was able to complete its work agenda.

During its stay in Mexico, the Mission held meetings with electoral authorities, associations promoting the recall exercise, groups in favor and against the anticipated removal of the president, leaders of national political parties, as well as individuals from the academia and civil society, to hear their opinions.

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The full report is available here.

Reference: S-004/22